From 2007, the Faculty of Science has introduced a Faculty admission policy to allow students to choose from any Science majors using one programme choice, 6901 Bachelor of Science.

Features of the Faculty Admission Policy

a choice of any Science majors using only one programme choice

flexibility to declare major at admission or at a later stage

easy to change majors

additional major and minor options in Science and non-Science Faculties

In 2011, students who choose 6901 Bachelor of Science can select any of the following majors:

Astronomy
Biochemistry
Biology
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Earth Sciences
Ecology & Biodiversity
Environmental Science
Food & Nutritional Science
Mathematics
Mathematics/Physics
Microbiology
Physics
Risk Management
Statistics

Why this Faculty Admission Policy?

Simple and Flexible
Under this policy, students who wish to take any of the 15 Science majors only need to put 6901 Bachelor of Science in their application. This allows them to declare their preferred major immediately after admission, or if they are not sure what major they would like to do, they can take a range of subjects in Science before making a decision and declare a major at the end of first year. The policy also allows you to change your major any time during your study as long as you can fulfill the course requirements of the major.

No Quota for Each Major
There is no quota for any of the Science majors; and students have complete freedom in choosing their major. Some majors may require you to have certain AL/AS subjects and if you do not have the required background, you may need to take certain bridging courses before you can follow the major.

Transition to the 4-year Undergraduate Curriculum
The new 334 school curriculum introduced in 2009 has called for a broader knowledge base. The introduction of this Faculty Admission system since 2007 is consistent with the spirit of the new academic structure and enables a smooth transition to the 4-year undergraduate degree curriculum in 2012.

An Academic Advisory System
We understand that selection of major is a very important decision for students. Some students may have already decided what major they want to take before they are admitted, while some others may want to explore multiple options before making a decision. Our course selection advisors will advise you on the choice of major, course requirements and possible major-minor combination to suit your interests, ability and career aspirations.

THE MAJOR-MINOR OPTION IN THE BSC CURRICULUM

In addition to the Science majors in which students need to take at least one as their major for the award of the BSc degree, students may also optionally take a minor or a second major to broaden their horizon outside their subject specialisation. About 90 choices of minors and 2nd majors are available from Science, Arts, Social Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Computer Science and the Institute of Human Performance. Selection of courses in a non-Science major or minor is subject to timetable and quota restrictions. Students must meet the minimum academic requirements before they are allowed to declare a 2nd major in any disciplines. Some non-Science majors and minors offered to BSc students may also require students to have achieved a minimum academic standard before they are allowed to declare it.

Full List of Majors and Minors*

MAJORS

SCIENCE

Astronomy Biochemistry Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Earth Sciences Ecology & Biodiversity Environmental Science Food & Nutritional Science Mathematics Mathematics/Physics Microbiology Physics Risk Management Statistics

MINORS

SCIENCE

Actuarial Studies Astronomy Biochemistry Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Earth Sciences Ecology & Biodiversity Food & Nutritional Science General Science^# Global Climate Change Mathematics Microbiology Physics Risk Management Statistics
* List of majors and minors offered is subject to change. ^# Only available to non-Science students.

A CAREER IN SCIENCE

Many secondary school students may hesitate to select science as their choice of university degree programmes because they think a science graduate has a limited career future in Hong Kong. This is simply not true. Scientists are needed in many sectors of the local economy, and many of our graduates are holding positions that demand scientific expertise, as environmental scientists, nutritionists, clinical scientists, meteorologists, geologists, information specialists, teachers and forensic scientists. In business and management, our science graduates are often preferred by employers because of their numerical analytical skills and logical thinking, and knowledge of the latest developments in science and technology.

BSC CURRICULUM STRUCTURE

To complete the BSc degree, a student has to pass at least 180 credits which is equivalent to 30 6-credit courses, normally spread over three years of full-time study. A typical BSc curriculum looks like:

12 courses (72 credits) for the major including experiential learning requirement^#;

21 credits of courses for fulfilling university language and common core requirement;

2 Science Faculty elective courses (12 credits); and

12.5 elective courses (75 credits), or courses leading to a minor or second major.

^# Experiential learning requirement may be in the form of exchange study, overseas field courses, internship, research project, dissertation or professional preparation programme.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

In addition to satisfying the University entrance requirements *, candidates with HKALE qualification shall satisfy the following requirements:

Grade E or above in AS Use of English*;

Grade E or above in AS Chinese Language and Culture; and

Grade E or above in at least 1 AL and 1 AS subjects in Physics or Engineering Science, Chemistry, Biology, Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics & Statistics, Computer Studies, Computer Applications, Geography or Economics^#. Other students without these subjects will be considered individually.

* The University normally requires a grade D in Use of English but special consideration has been given to those students with a grade E in Use of English applying for this programme.

^# It is preferable for students taking AL/AS Economics to have also taken an AL/AS subject in Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, or Mathematics and Statistics.

HKCEE counts 25 % weighting in admission.

Other students, such as Associate Degree/Higher Diploma holder, GCE, IB, SAT, Early Admissions Scheme or from Mainland or overseas who are not applying on the strength of HKAL will be considered individually.

Selection Criteria

Selection for JUPAS applicants is mainly based on HKALE results, HKCEE results, academic reference and performance at interviews. Non-JUPAS applicants are selected based on the following criteria: academic merit, language/communication skill, motivation, relevant working experience, and extra-curricular activities.